Charleston never ceases to amaze me. After visiting more than 5 times, I still find something new and intriguing every time I stop by. I say stop by because I have never spent longer than two days there. This tactic always leaves me wishing to go back. This trip was certainly a whirlwind, but Charleston never disappoints.
We started out on Saturday by walking around downtown Charleston. Beginning with Market Street, we checked out the famous Charleston market. Of course, I couldn’t walk out without buying something so I bought a navy baseball cap with the South Carolina Palmetto Moon (similar here). This was my one tourist-y, silly purchase for the trip (haha). Next, we headed out to one of my absolute favorite spots in Charleston, Waterfront Park. Waterfront Park has the most picturesque views of Sullivan’s Island, the bridge, and the port. Not to mention, my go-to spot, the Pineapple Fountain. Pineapples stand for hospitality which the town is famous for.
After Waterfront Park, we made our way over to another one of my favorite little Charleston spots, Rainbow Row. Rainbow Row is famous for old homes built in the Charleston style in all kinds of colors. Charleston is famous for this spot. Every time I visit Charleston, I am tempted to buy a Rainbow Row postcard just to keep because they are so darn cute. You can pick up one here.
Finally, we made it to one of my favorite spots – King Street. I know I keep saying that everything is my favorite but in Charleston, let’s be real, it is. King Street is one of the cutest shopping areas in the country in my opinion. The shops are everything you would expect – vineyard vines, lululemon, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, the works… but there are little boutiques sprinkled here and there featuring southern charm and style. Though I didn’t get to shop much, I cannot recommend enough stopping in Candlefish. If you’re like me and love ridiculously expensive, tiny smelly candles, you will be OBSESSED. They sell Candlefish candles at Anthropolgie, where I first discovered the brand when I received a candle as a gift. However, the Candlefish store is something special. Everything is beautiful. I almost walked out with the entire store in tow. Thankfully, I was able to talk myself down and picked out one of my favorite scents, seeing as I am ballin’ on a budget. #champagnetastebeerbudget anyone? What’s most special about the Candlefish store is the Candle Library, where they pour the wax and create new scents and candles. I sat there, mesmerized going through literally 100+ scents and boring my poor boyfriend to tears. Finally, I settled on the perfect one and they wrapped it up in beautiful paper and the shopping bag was MARBLE. This place was all about presentation and I was hooked.
Our formal event was that night so after exploring a little more we headed back to the hotel. The formal was back at King Street that night much to my happy surprise. We headed to Gentry for dinner and dancing. Gentry had even more Charleston charm, featuring exposed brick and that quaint southern feel. We had the times of our lives!
We woke up on Easter Sunday ready for brunch. We were beyond excited to get in at Stars Rooftop on you guessed it, King Street. They had the cutest spread with yummy dishes like fried chicken eggs Benedict and sugar-y, honey, sea-salt biscuits. We had a lovely brunch and the ambiance was wonderful.
As always, my trip to Charleston was far too short. I was beyond sad to leave but had to make one last stop in South Carolina before I headed back to Florida. My dad and I love to explore the Old Sheldon Church Ruins. The church was built in the early 1700s and like Charleston, is rich with history. The ruins feature gorgeous light brick and columns, growing in a serene and idyllic landscape in the countryside. I definitely recommend making the stop to see this beautiful sight on your way in or out of town; my family always does.